Ladder



PI 1, 1947- G. D. GODFREY LADDER `Filed Sept. 17, 1945 F 'Hm G.D.Godfrz;'

Patented Apr. 1, 1947 UNITED STATES PATNT TGFFICE LADDER Grant ID. Godfrey, Beatrice, Nebr. Application September 17, 1945, .Serial No. 56163775 1 Claim.

The present invention relates to 'runged ladders and has for an object to provide a ladder of two or more Sections having means for jointing said Sections together nzsuch a manner that, during use, at times when a ladder is leaned against a wall or the like, the sections thereof cannot collapse or fold outwardly away from said wall at undesired times, whereby a factor of safety is provided for users thereof with respect to 4the prior practice in connection with f'oldable ladders.

Another object :of the invention is to provide na sectional ladder which is so constructed that the sections thereof `are foldable compactly for conserving space during a transpo-rtation and storage thereof and which may be readily asse'mhled in longitudinal parallelism with respect to each other .and readily locked securely together for use as an extension ladder..

A lfurther object of :the invention is to provide a new Varticle of manufacture which is so Vconstructed that a paii` 'thereof may be readily secured in a'position of use at common .ends of the side rails of a conventional ladder section for providing notches at said ends.

It is another object of the invention to provide a jointing means for ladder Sections which is so constructed that each section of the ladder of the present invention is reinforced at the notched ends thereof.

A still further object of the invention is to pro `vide a ladder having extensible Sections which are operable in a more facile manner than heretofore, for providing anl A-'shaped scaffold support, an extended ladder and which may also be folded compactly for transportation to and from work as maybe desired.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will be obvious from the following detailed description thereof.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of fragments of two ladder sections and showing an embodiment of the present 'invention lapplied thereto in an operative position, said Sections also being illustrated, by means of dotted lines, in a folded position with respect to .each other.

Figure 2 is a top 'plan view of the parts shown in Figure 1. v

Figure 3 isa side elevation of the ladder of the present invention, certain portions thereof being broken away and depicting the ladder in a position of use with respect to the wall of a building, said wall being shown in section.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a two-section ladder of the present invention and showing the said two Sections arranged in a form-sustaining manner and for use as scafiold support or the like.

Referring now to the drawing for a more particular description, the ladder of the present invention includes .any desired number of similar sections and for convenience of illustration but two of said sections are shown in said drawing.

The two Sections, generally indicated at A and B, are substantially alike with the exception that .the section A is wider and the rungs thereof are longer than the section B and a further difference is that the section B is provided with -the jointing means of the present invention.

The section A includes two 'oppositely disposed spaced apart and like side rails i and i! which may be of any desired length, width and thickness. The rails iii and lll are joned together by means of approximately equidistahtly` spaced .apart rungs if! and a similar rung |3 dsposed adjacent an end of the section A.. together with a rung 23 which is disposed between the .rnng |3 and the next adjacent rung [2. i i

The section B is similarly provided -with oppositely disposed side rails Hi and [5 which are secured together by equidistantly spaced apart 'rungs l.

rThe ru-ngs 12 of the section A `are longer than the 'rungs iii .of the section B, whereby the rails of the section B are disposed between the rails of the section A,=as shown in Figure 41-. i

The end rung E3 of the ;section A extends through the side rails Hi and iii of the section B, as shown in Figure 4, and also, as there shown, through the jointing means assembly of the pres ent invention.

Two of the jointing members of the present invention .are employed for .each two Sections of the new ladder and since said members are each alike, but `one thereof is minutely characterized herein. i

Referring to Fignre 1, the joint or member there shown is generally indicated at C land lthe la'tter 'is for-med of strap iron preferably, being we'lded together or the `'join-t C, if des'iredy may be formed of a malleable casting having opposi't'ely disposed side port'ions respectively indic'ated at H and 18. i

The side portions H and 'IS are l' gether by means of the strap is of elongated substantially U-shape in plan, as shown in Figure l.

The end portion 19 is provided with a notch 2% which is disposed toward the open end of the loined toan end portion Hi, whereby said U-shaped configuration for purposes later described.

The side portions 18 and 1'1 are each provided with an adequate number of holes 2| disposed through each. For convenience ofillustration but two holes 2| are represented with respect to each said side portion. 1

. Referring to Figure 1, rivets, bolts or the like 22 are disposed through the side rail 15 and through the holes 2| of the strap portions 1'1 and 18 for looking the U-shape to said rail, whereby the notch 20 is disposed approximately midway between the opposite edges of the rail 15.

The other side rail 14 of the section B is similarly equipped.

The side walls of the notch 29 are spaced apart a distance such that the rung 23 of the section A is'snugly received therein as later described and as shown in Figure 1. p

As best shown in Figure 1, approximately midway between the ends of the portion 1'1 a portion or member, generally vindicated at '24, is provided. The portion 24 is preferably formed of strap iron having a contour, in plan, which is of L- shape, whereby an aperture 25 of similar shape is outlined, in plan, by the walls of said aperture. The latter is of sufficient width to receive the vend rung 13 of the section A of the ladder therethrough.

A leg portion of the aperture 25 is disposed in parallelism with the longitudinal length of the rail 15 and in a manner so that the end of said leg abuts the rung 13 of the section A at the time the rung 23 of said section abuts the end of the wall of the notch 20, as shown in Figure 2.

The other leg of the L-shaped aperture 25 is transversely disposed with respect to the rail 15. The end 21 of the member 24 is disposed through and appreciably beyond the side portion 1'1, as shown in Figure 1, for permitting the rung 13 to abut the wall at the end of the said other leg of the aperture 25 at times when the section A becomes folded with respect to the section B, as illustrated by dotted lines in Figure 1.

That portion of the aperture 25 which is disposed in alignment with the rail 15 is elongated sufiiciently to permit the rung 13 to slide therein for freeing the rung 23 from the notch 20 and for this purpose, the end of the notch 20 is spaced r from the adjacent end of the elongated aperture 25 a distance which is less than the distance between the rungs 13 and 23 of the section B.

As thus described, it will be seen that the portion or member 24 is freely slidable with respect to the rung 13, whereby the Sections A and B may be telescopically moved with respect'to each other, the rung 13 sliding in that portion of the aperture which is disposed in parallelism with the rail 15 and similarly, the rung 13 is movable to that portion of the aperture 25 which is disposed transversely with respect to the rail 15 and from the position of the rung 13 shown by fulllines in Figure 1 to the dotted line position thereof as shown in said figure for purposes later described.

The rung 13 of the section A being disposed through the apertures of both of the side rails of the section B, pivotally joins said Sections together for swinging movements with respect to each other.

In operation, the section A may be arranged with respect to the section B, as shown in Figure 4, for supporting one end of a scaffold plank and a latch bar 28 employed for locking the free ends of the sections in spaced apart and form-sustaining relation.

In Figure 3, the Sections A and B are shown jointed together and the opp'osite ends of the ladder disposed against a wall 30 andupon the ground 31 respectively, for use as an extension ladder. It will be seen that a person disposed at the window opening 31' of the wall 30 Who accidentally or otherwise presses against the ladder in the direction of the arrow 32 may not cause the ladder Sections to fold in the direction of the said arrow, since the rung 23 of the section A is engaged in the notches 25 of the section B and the rung 13 is then at the upper end of the apertures 2 5 of the members 24, as shown by dotted lines in Figure 3, whereby a safety factor is provided during use.

From the foregoing description, it is thought to be obvious that a ladder constructed in accordance with my invention is p'articularly well adapted for use by reason of the convenience and facility with which it may be assembled' and operated, and it will also be obvious that my invention is susceptible of some change and modiwish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise arrangement and formation of the severalparts herein shown in carrying outrmy in- Vention in practice, except as claimed.

I claim:

each being provided with a plurality of holes for receiving detents therethrough, whereby the side portions of the strap may be respectively secured to the opposite edges of a side rail of a runged ladder in a manner to dispose said notch at an end of said rail.

GRANT D. GODFREY.

REFEREN CES CITED The following references a're of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 'Date' Swiss June 16, 1925 

